Nanotoxicology: Small Particles, Big Concerns

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2026 | Viewed by 767

Editor


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Guest Editor
1. French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), UMR 1260, Regenerative Nanomedicine (RNM), FMTS, CRBS, 1 Rue Eugène Boeckel, 67000 Strasbourg, France
2. Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
Interests: mechanistic nanotoxicology; toxicological assessment of nanomaterials; advanced 3D in vitro models; lung organoids; 3D bioprinting of pulmonary tissu models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid development and widespread integration of engineered nanomaterials into industrial, medical, environmental, and consumer applications have raised increasing concerns regarding their potential impacts on human health and ecosystems. Since the early 2000s, nanotoxicology has emerged as a dedicated interdisciplinary field aimed at understanding how the unique physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, such as size, shape, surface chemistry, solubility, and reactivity, govern their biological interactions and toxicological profiles. While substantial progress has been made, the continuous diversification of nanomaterials and exposure scenarios poses persistent scientific and regulatory challenges.

This Special Issue, “Nanotoxicology: Small Particles, Big Concerns”, will provide a focused and forward-looking overview of current advances in nanotoxicology, with particular emphasis on mechanistic understanding, biologically relevant exposure conditions, and the integration of novel methodologies into safety assessment strategies. This Special Issue will bridge fundamental research and applied perspectives, addressing both human and environmental health dimensions.

We welcome contributions highlighting cutting-edge research on nanoparticle–biological interactions and toxicity mechanisms, including cellular uptake pathways, intracellular trafficking, biotransformation, biomolecular and protein corona, oxidative stress, inflammation, genotoxicity, immunomodulation, adverse outcome pathways (AOPs), and long-term or low-dose effects. Studies employing New Approach Methods (NAMs), such as advanced in vitro models (3D cultures, organ-on-chip systems), high-content imaging, omics-based approaches, and computational or in silico toxicology, are strongly encouraged, especially when linked to mechanistic insights and regulatory relevance.

This Special Issue solicits original research articles, short communications, and comprehensive review papers addressing experimental, methodological, and conceptual advances in nanotoxicology. Interdisciplinary studies bridging materials science, toxicology, biology, and environmental sciences are encouraged to support the responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnologies.

Dr. Carole Ronzani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanotoxicology
  • mechanisms of toxicity
  • new approach methods (NAMs)
  • engineered nanomaterials
  • in vitro and in vivo models
  • risk assessment
  • regulatory science

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 3307 KB  
Article
Transcriptomic Profiling of Toxic Copper Overload Induced by CuO Nanoparticles or Copper Ions in Human Lung Epithelial and Liver Cells
by Jana Kuhn, Anda R. Gliga, Cheyenne Ines Aissouni, Anna Maria Glowacki, Marlene Parsdorfer, Martin Link, Hanna Lovisa Karlsson and Andrea Hartwig
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(10), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16100590 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 581
Abstract
The transition metal copper (Cu) is an essential trace element for humans and serves as a cofactor for numerous enzymes. Therefore, intracellular Cu homeostasis must be tightly regulated. Meanwhile, Cu is increasingly used in industrial and biomedical applications, particularly in nanoparticle (NP) form. [...] Read more.
The transition metal copper (Cu) is an essential trace element for humans and serves as a cofactor for numerous enzymes. Therefore, intracellular Cu homeostasis must be tightly regulated. Meanwhile, Cu is increasingly used in industrial and biomedical applications, particularly in nanoparticle (NP) form. However, studies have demonstrated that Cu(II) oxide (CuO) NPs are highly toxic. Therefore, understanding the underlying toxic effects of such compounds is of the utmost importance. In this context, transcriptomic profiling is regarded as a valuable tool. Nevertheless, comparative studies addressing organ-relevant models, such as the liver and lungs, are scarce. Furthermore, no transcriptomic studies have been conducted on human bronchial lung epithelial cells exposed to CuO NPs and Cu2+. In this study, we compared the cellular effects of human bronchial lung epithelial cells exposed to both CuO NPs and Cu2+ to the effects in human liver cells exposed to Cu2+ by applying RNA sequencing. Although cytotoxicity was comparable, we showed that Cu uptake was highly dependent on both the cell type and the form of Cu. The most pronounced concentration-dependent transcriptional changes were observed with CuO NP exposure in BEAS-2B cells. The only differentially expressed genes (DEGs) found by all exposures and treatments were metallothioneins (MTs). The most sensitive targets of Cu-induced toxicity were related to nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Furthermore, the effects observed at the transcriptome level were studied at the functional level, such as cell cycle regulation and cytokine release. Thus, we demonstrated that the two cell types differ in susceptibility, and that complementing transcriptome profiling with functional studies provides important mechanistic insights. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotoxicology: Small Particles, Big Concerns)
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